


Murphy Christmas

by SimplyTsundere



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Cat Mom Eren, Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, Christmas gift, Eren & Levi cohabitate, Eren is a Clutz, Ereri Secret Santa 2k17, Fluff, Furlan Church and Levi and Isabel Magnolia are Siblings, Horrible First Impressions, Kitten Mischief, M/M, Mistletoe, Murphys Law, Teacher Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Veterinarian Eren, awkward moments, time skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 19:43:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13130751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimplyTsundere/pseuds/SimplyTsundere
Summary: After adopting two unfortunately mischievous kittens, Veterinarian Eren Jaeger discovers his new neighbor isn't the most friendly person when he gets awoken by kittens screaming in his face. The straight-laced, attractive man scoffs at his presence and goes on about his morning. Eren feels terrible for the first impression and decides that he should apologize properly: with some wine. He returns that afternoon to apologize only to wind up in a series of unfortunate events. Little did he know that his fateful meeting would lead to much more than a bloody nose, a glass of wine, and a proposition.





	Murphy Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Livz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Livz/gifts).



> Happy Holidays everyone! This is part of the Ereri Secret Santa 2017! I hope that you all enjoy it, but mostly I hope that it's giftee will enjoy it! This one threw me for a loop, but I tried! Please enjoy everyone!
> 
> Livz658 - It is my sincerest hope that you enjoy this. Please let me know if you have an Ao3 username and I will gift it to you properly! May you enjoy this and thank you for participating in the secret santa event!
> 
> ~Hugs & Kisses,  
> ❤♠Neko❤♠

Another morning filled with the desperate hungry cries of kittens…at least that was what he expected. Tossing back the blankets, Eren got to his feet and surveyed the bedroom. Glancing towards the cat beds, the scratch post, and to the hamper, he was at a loss when the two little monsters he’d wound up adopting weren’t in their usual places. Sage was a solid blue little ball of fluff while his sister, Holly, was a restless little tuxedo kitten. Both of the new additions were little monsters; demanding attention at all hours of the night and day, Eren found himself as drained as a new parent. In a sense, he was a new parent, but he was also a veterinarian who should have expected as much from his new kits.  

By the time he’d gotten up Sage and Holly would have already been screaming for their breakfast. It was throwing him off, so he knew he needed to go look for them. There was no telling where they’d gotten off to with so many hiding spots in the apartment, especially now with the Christmas tree up. Deciding that there was one sure fire way to get their attention without having to turn the entire place upside down, Eren shuffled off to the pantry where he grabbed the bag of kitten food. Shaking it a little bit, he then poured some in each of their bowls and got some fresh water for them. Standing back as he waited, Eren shortly realized that they weren’t coming to the call of meal time. That was strange. Sage was a glutton, and he was always up to eat.

When his actions failed to produce any results he began to get nervous. They were just babies; they couldn’t have gotten very far right?! Checking the veranda door to make sure it was secure, he rushed over and found it locked. There was only one more place they could have gotten out. He headed immediately for the front door that he soon saw was slightly ajar. Oh no. Now they were loose in the complex which meant that they could get outside, someone could have picked them up and sent them to animal control, or they could be lost. So many scenarios began to run tirelessly through his head.

Instead of sitting back and letting his mind race, Eren grabbed a robe and dashed out into the hallway. His shaggy cinnamon hair was a whirlwind mess, sticking up in every direction, and his tired turquoise eyes darted down the hall looking for any sign of his babies. Only when he heard a ranting and the sound of crashing, did he know which way to head. Just a few apartments down from him, a door slammed open and a man he’d never seen before was holding two bundles of fur. Eren rushed as fast as he could to take the kittens from him as they dangled from their scruffs, feet curled up and looking as though they’d received a thorough scolding.

“These things _yours?!”_ The man glowered. Eren nodded as he took them carefully. For someone that barely hit 5’2 he sure had a lot of anger welled up in that small frame. Steely blue irises flared with ire from behind his glasses, but all Eren could focus on was how frighteningly beautiful he was. Dressed in a well fitted navy suit partnered with a navy and cream tie, the man sure did know how to dress flatteringly. Eren swore his skin was crafted of the purest snow or porcelain. It might have been a strange thing to liken his resemblance to when he wore such a deeply ingrained scowl, but he looked like a porcelain doll. Sharp features complemented the freshly razored midnight hair that fell to the slope of his jaw. Over all, the man was immaculate despite his demeanor.

Finally finding his voice, Eren apologized “I’m so sorry. I had company last night and they must’ve left the door ajar. I hope they didn’t cause too much trouble for you.”

“Little demons _screamed_ in my face. Make sure it doesn’t happen again,” the man scoffed before brushing past him as he shut the apartment door behind him. Briefcase in tow, Eren assumed he was headed out to work which only made him feel worse. Glancing down at the little kittens in his arms, Eren decided to head back to the apartment. The moment he stepped past the threshold of the apartment Holly and Sage struggled to get down, so he put them down and scolded them. Their little ears folded as if they understood they’d done something wrong. He then left them to eat before getting ready for work. Slipping into something other than his house robe, Eren donned a powder blue undershirt and black slacks beneath his white lab coat. Checking over himself, he styled back his hair in a ponytail, slapped on a light amount of cologne, and finished his preening.

After dressing, Eren corralled Sage and Holly into a carrier and headed off to work. Thankfully the ride there wasn’t too long, so he didn’t have to hear the constant whining from either kitten for too long. Parking at the back of the slate grey building, Eren took a deep breath and prepared himself for work. Things were going to be as bleak and disheartening as everyday, but he couldn’t help but wish for something else as the holiday season was upon them. Hopefully some of the animals would find themselves with a good family for the holidays. It was the little wins he’d take where he could find them; looking on the bright side of the darkness.

When he got out of the car, he grabbed the carrier and prepared to unlock the shelter doors, but it seemed someone had beaten him to the bunch. Standing in front of him to a warm smile, was a older woman with chestnut hair dusting the tops of her shoulders. Caramel eyes met his as he couldn’t help but smile back at his mother.

“Good morning, ma,” Eren greeted sweetly before planting a kiss to her temple.

Carla Jaeger patted him on the shoulder “Good morning, honey. Are you ready to get the day started?”

“Even if I say no, I’d still have to be,” he replied with a sigh. “I’ve already had quite a morning. I’m just ready to get today over with.”

During the walk to his office, Carla pried “Oh? What happened to put you in such a sour mood, hmm?”

“Holly and Sage got out when Mikasa left this morning. They wound up in a neighbor’s apartment who was less than thrilled to have a furry alarm clock or two. He was absolutely livid,” Eren grumbled as he let the kittens out into his office.

Carla draped his stethoscope around his neck and sighed “I’ll be sure to remind her for you. Now then, it sounds like you should go apologize again later today. Maybe sweeten the apology a little? You know you’re a good cook.”

“Well, I had a great teacher,” Eren chuckled before taking her response into consideration “but I think wine is more his style. He dresses in nice suits, wears these floating rimmed glasses, carries a briefcase….he seems a bit higher class. I don't think a pie could win him over.”

“Got your work cut out for you then,” Carla grinned “but think on that later. We've got a shelter to run.” Eren nodded and moved to follow his mother. His day began with the regulars, checking up on everyone in the ICU, and waiting for any new patients he may receive. Fortunately, his ability to run his clinic out of the animal shelter his mother ran helped get people into the doors. His own private clinic wasn’t a dream he wanted; the more animals he could treat in the shelter’s space the more exposure those animals up for adoption got. All he wanted was for there to, someday, be empty kennels and cages. It was a far off dream, but one animal at a time was a good step forward.

As his time began to pass with routine check ups and the occasional client, Eren began to let his mind think back to the neighbor he’d angered. He’d never seen the guy before. It was quite possible he’d moved in recently, and Eren had just never run into him. He’d seemed the type to anger easily, but, then again, he’d not expected unruly kittens to be in his apartment. Anyone would have been angry in that situation, so he couldn’t blame him for the reaction he had. Never in his life, however, had he found someone as attractive as they were furious. Maybe it was just a fluke.

Work soon dwindled down and came to an end. After some quick paperwork in the office, Eren got Sage and Holly into the carrier before making his exit. On the way home he made a quick pitstop at the liquor store to grab two bottles of wine. He didn’t know if the guy preferred white or red, but he just got one good bottle of both just in case. It was always good to have a backup plan. Whichever the guy preferred, Eren would just call it a win and drink the other….though he was really hoping the guy liked red wine purely so that the other would be his. Such a trivial thing kept his mind busy on the drive back to the apartment. He didn’t even know if the guy would be home or not, but there was getting anxious about showing up with the wrong kind of wine.

It wasn’t like him to be nervous around anyone, but the guy was gorgeous, sue him. Once he’d gotten up to the apartment, kittens and wine in hand, he made sure to ensure he didn’t look like a total wreck. Working all day with animals and bodily fluids could do that to someone. Within a moment, he’d collected himself and let the kittens out of their carrier to make as much mischief in his apartment as they’d like while he went across the hall. Taking a deep breath, Eren came to a stop in front of apartment 271D and knocked. His knuckles smarted a bit, likely from the density of the door and how hard he’d knocked to ensure that he’d be heard.

A few minutes passed. Nothing. He’d heard no attempt to get to the door nor had he heard anything really. The idea to knock again came as it normally would, but what if he was wasting his time and the guy wasn’t home? On the other hand what he had company? What if he didn’t even hear him the first time? With so many ideas, Eren decided it would be best to just place a hand on the door and lean in to place his ear against the door. For a moment there was nothing, before there was a whole lot more than something. Just as the door opened, Eren fell forward and searched for anything to break the impending tumble he was about to take.

Reaching out with one hand, Eren found something and secured his grasp as he closed his eyes. Only there was one minor problem with what Eren first grabbed. A damp towel on the neighbor’s hips was not going to break his fall, in fact, it only served to make it exponentially worse for everyone involved. As he landed on something rather firm and wet, Eren opened his eyes to be staring down into widened, hazy blue eyes. He’d quickly realized that the towel in his hand belonged to the man on top of whom he’d landed. Trying to get up as fast as possible, Eren moved to sit up only to be headbutted as the man beneath him attempted the same thing at the same time.

Blood began to pour profusely from his nose as the man’s forehead collided with the soft cartilage. Immediately, his first thought was to not ruin the nice carpeting in the apartment, and so he pressed the damp towel in his hand to his face. A sound akin to a wheezing laugh reached his ears.

“Goddamn, Murphy, just get up slowly, tilt your head forward so you don’t swallow any blood, and take a seat on the sofa,” came the voice at his side, guiding him to the sofa a couple of paces behind them. Eren nodded and got up on his feet, allowing the man to lead him. As he heard the guy walking off, he couldn’t help but want a peek. Lifting his head from the towel, Eren caught just the barest glimpse of the man’s naked ass as he rounded a corner. He had a nice shake of his hips when he walked, but he didn’t seem perturbed at all about being forcibly disrobed.

Shortly after, the man returned clad in only a pair of lounge pants with a damp washcloth and a fresh towel. He held out a hand expectantly, so Eren handed over the bloodied damp towel while accepting the new clean towel after washing up his face a bit. What a disaster this had all become. He’d gone there with the intent of apologizing by way of a bottle of wine, now he was forcing the guy to take care of him after ripping his towel off. This had been one mistake after another with this guy. Perhaps it just wasn’t in the stars for him to make a half decent impression with him. Eren was forced to let his nose stop bleeding while the guy cleaned up the bit of blood Eren had gotten on the carpet. Thankfully, it hadn’t been much, only a drop or two.

The coffee table in front of him suddenly had the bottles of wine he’d brought sat atop it as the owner of the apartment laughed “You brought me wine? Looks like you already got me out of pants, Murphy, what else did you want, huh?” Confused, Eren looked up to see the man with a wide grin. It was definitely a look that worked for him. He suspected it was a teasing grin, almost feline, in the way it curled the corners of his thin, pale lips. To be honest, it had been a rather good look especially when he’d laughed. Now that was a sound to hear.

“My name is Eren,” he offered as he looked up to the man. “Why are you calling me Murphy?”

A sigh was heaved as the man sat down beside him “Murphy’s Law, Eren, dictates that anything that can go wrong, most certainly will. You seem to be the human embodiment of that law.”

“Oh,” Eren cringed “I see. I just came here to apologize again for earlier. Didn’t know if you preferred white or red, so I just got both.”

“Thank you,” he began softly “and for future reference, I prefer dry reds. Pinot noir isn’t bad though. I suggest you keeping a closer eye on the kittens; they’re like children, you know, you like them because they’re yours, but others probably don’t like them nearly as much if at all.”

Eren knew he had a point and conceded “Again, I’m sorry. They’re slippery sometimes. I take it you’re not a cat person.”

“Not much of an anything person really,” the man explained flatly “but don’t take it personally. How’s your nose?”

“Don’t think it’s broken,” he laughed awkwardly “just sore. I’ll be alright once it stops bleeding entirely. This dribble is annoying.”

A frown replaced the man’s smile as he began to apologize himself “I’m sorry….for headbutting you.”

Placing the towel in his lap, Eren smiled “Don’t be. I ripped your towel off. I deserved it.”

Shaking his head, the man returned his smile “Not for that. Maybe for trying to eavesdrop, but why kick a man while he’s already down and bleeding all over the place?”

“I appreciate that,” Eren offered kindly. “I just knocked, and didn’t know if I should have again. Hell, I didn’t even know if you were home.”

“As you can see,” he gestured at himself “I’m here, but I just got out of the shower. Were you so afraid of dropping the wine?”

Taking a moment to openly stare, Eren shrugged “A bit, I guess, but then I was _distracted.”_

“Landing atop a naked man will do that,” came a flirty snicker “so would you like a glass of the wine you went through so much trouble to bring me?”

“Sure,” Eren grinned boldly “white though, if you’d be so kind.”

Returning shortly thereafter with a glass, he offered Eren his glass “So, what’s your last name, Eren?”

“Jaeger,” he replied before a tasting of his pinot grigio.

“Nice to….” came the pause before he shook his head “no, it’s _still_ nice to meet you. I’m Levi Ackerman.”

Glancing between them Eren looked down at his hand to notice the rust stains and dried blood “Ah, you too. I’d shake your hand but---”

“Considering you’ve seen me naked, I’d say we’re _well_ past a handshake. What do you do, Eren?” Levi inquired as he leaned back into the sofa with a glass of red wine.

Eren answered him honestly “I help my mother run a non-profit, but I’m a better veterinarian than I am a number cruncher. What about you?”

“Teacher,” Levi replied “advanced physics at Delphian Academy. What kind of non-profit, Mr. Vet?”

Amazed by the new information, Eren blinked back his surprise “Wow, that explains why you dress so well. A preparatory school teacher. Interesting, but not what I pictured. My mother runs an animal shelter, my sister works the front desk and handles our PR, while I work finance and operate my own practice inside our veterinary clinic.”

“You know, I get that a lot,” Levi responded dully as he sipped his wine “I’m used to getting people thinking that I’m a lawyer, banker, a broker, or something else just as drab and stiff. You appear to be my opposite in many ways…. I suppose that shelter is where the kittens came from?”

“Holly and Sage,” Eren smiled “and, yes, it is. Last week, during that snow in, they got dropped off in a cardboard box with their 2 other siblings. I couldn’t let anything happen to them, but despite my best efforts we lost their three siblings. I wasn’t about to let them go, so I waited up several nights just to make sure they made it through. In the end, I guess I got attached and wound up with the little monsters.”

“That’s very sweet of you,” came the soft reply before Levi’s lip curled in a sneer. “I may not be the best with animals, but anyone who does that to defenseless creature deserves a fate worse than death.”

Eren couldn’t help but find his secret passion endearing “And there appears to be hope for you yet. You mentioned those other jobs were stale and lackluster. Does that mean you like your job as a teacher?”

For a moment, Levi thought out his answer before responding “Well, we just got out for break, so right now? Yeah, loving it. Otherwise, it really depends on the day. I teach a lot of rich idiots with a few genuine smart ones thrown in like chocolate chips in trail mix; not nearly enough to make up for all the raisins.”

“Ouch,” Eren snorted “that was quite the simile.”

“You’d think for a private academy they’d have better students,” Levi sighed before waving a dismissive hand “but I digress.”

“Must be a pretty good teacher to land a job like that,” Eren shrugged casually.

Levi lifted his chin with a ounce of pride “I used to be a damn good professor once upon a time.”

Intrigued, Eren cocked his head to the side “Yeah? What happened?”

“Fell in love with a student,” Levi stated flatly as he held Eren’s gaze.

Eyes wide, Eren blurted “You _what?”_

Cackling so hard his shoulders seemed to vibrate with his laugh, Levi shook his head “I’m kidding! Wow, you’re easy. I’m sorry for messing with you. I just wanted something different was all. Now, I’m not often one to beat around a bush, Eren, so excuse me for being bold.”

Keeping his focus on Levi, Eren nodded “Alright, you got me curious, so what is it?”

“Are you busy tonight?” He asked boldly.

Eren shook his head “Not at all. Though, I’ve got to wonder, Levi, why is it that you ask me that?”

“Gut feeling about something,” he’d answered albeit cryptically.  


* * *

  
A gut feeling had been right. That day had started the first day of the rest of his life. He almost couldn’t believe that it had been nearly two years since then, that fateful morning that lead to discovering the love of his life. As he glanced down on the man lying atop his chest, Eren couldn’t help but find himself smiling. So much had happened since then. It seemed like everything but a mountain itself had collapsed atop them. The struggles had never seemed to end, but together they found they could overcome any obstacle that lied in their way.

Unable to sometimes fathom the man he’d come to love, Eren just found himself staring at Levi. He’d learned over time that Levi had lied about why he’d moved to the city. The hardest thing he’d had to admit to Eren was the real reason he moved was because he couldn’t handle his mother’s passing at the time. Everything reminded him of her, so he needed something new to allow him to grieve healthily. All Eren could remember was how vulnerable he’d been back then. He truly had looked like a porcelain doll, only he looked as though he was about to burst into a million tiny shards of porcelain.

Times had changed though and he’d realized that Levi needed no help from anyone. He was so feisty and comfortable in his own skin that it was difficult to see him in any other way. Looking down at him, snoring, drooling on his arm, though meant that Eren did still manage to find that sometimes he just looked near angelic. While he was thinking that, Levi cracked open his eyes and smiled up at him. Neglecting to do anything else beforehand, Levi ran a hand languidly through Eren’s hair before pulling him close enough to kiss. Levi nor Eren could have found it in themselves to care about anything else. In that moment, all that mattered was Levi and the way he so unabashedly expressed the amount of love he had for Eren.

“Mmmm, good morning, baby,” Eren hummed as nuzzled against Levi’s neck.

Enjoying himself as he felt Eren’s rough scruff drag against his shoulder, Levi shivered “Morning. Guess we need to start getting ready for the party, huh?”

“Unfortunately,” Eren grumbled against Levi’s skin “but we can always lay here for an extra minute.”

“Only as long as you promise to let me help you with everything,” Levi demanded.

Leaning back, Eren held his gaze and nodded “Only because I know what’ll happen if I say no, and I don’t want you all pouty.”

“I do not pout,” Levi huffed.

“Yeah?” Eren chuckled as he poked Levi’s puffed out bottom lip. “Then what’s  _this?_ I never said I didn’t _like_ your pout though. It’s kinda sexy.”

Rolling his eyes, Levi squirmed free of Eren’s hold “Whatever. C’mon let’s get ready, so I can make sure you don’t start another kitchen fire, topple the tree, fall off the roof, trip over plastic reindeer, spill wine on the new rug, or face plant into another pie this year.” Eren might have taken offense to that if any of it hadn’t happened in the last two years. It was hard to disagree with the fact he was clumsy sometimes, but around Levi accidents always seemed to happen. The nickname Murphy had wound up sticking for years to come. After they’d decided to rent a house together, Eren had decided to put up Christmas lights and he’d fallen off the roof. The moment after that, he’d tripped over one the plastic reindeer in the yard. Life had a way of making their moments together truly unforgettable.

“Alright, let’s go,” Eren groaned as he attempted to move only to find a bundle of fur between his feet. Sitting up, he reached down to heft Sage into his arms as Levi discovered Holly curled up in a ball just at the center of his back. Each of them picked up “their” cat and attempted to begin the day. It was amazing to watch, however, as Levi held Holly and carried her off. No matter what he’d said in the beginning, Levi had come around to cats….at least Holly and Sage, but definitely Holly. The two were inseparable as of late, which Eren found only added to Levi’s charm. He and Holly were rather similar. She was rambunctious, curious, and a bit temperamental at times whereas Sage was growing out not up, laid back, and just wanted attention or to sleep.

While Levi showered and got ready, Eren was standing in front of the mirror, cats weaving between his legs screaming for breakfast, as he shaved. It was a mess, but that was their routine. When Eren finished up he went into the kitchen, got the cats all settled, and began to start getting things set up for the party. Snacks like cookies and little treats had been made the night before, so that just required some minimal set up. Eren got them all laid out atop the counter, removed some bottles of wine, got the spiked eggnog ready, and felt like everything was really coming together. Gathering up the presents and putting them in piles was the next step, so that was done relatively easy. Everything else would be left up to Levi.

Speaking of Levi, he’d walked out the second Eren had finished. Wearing a pair of black suspenders over a white shirt and black slacks, Levi always found a way to get Eren’s blood pumping. It still blew his mind how he could take something so simple and make it look so effortlessly incredible. Before skirting off to the shower, Eren gave him a peck on the cheek. Levi was all smiles in return, and took to finishing up the jobs that Eren had left him with. People would begin arriving at any time, and things needed to be pristine and pretty. Levi was mildly obsessed with making sure that everyone looked nice and was clean, which wasn’t a bad thing, but he could go overboard at times.

In the shower, Eren thought Levi going overboard was exactly what was happening when he began to hear clanging and clamoring. Attempting to ignore it, figuring that Levi had it under control, Eren continued with his shower. Things seemed to quieten down after he got out of the shower.

That was until he heard Levi screaming at the top of his lungs “Sage, you fat sack of shit! Get your head outta---- **HOLLY!** Get the fuck out of the tree! **EREN GABRIEL JAEGER!** Come get your kids!! Now!”

 _“Our_ kids!” Eren shouted before rushing out of the bathroom clad in just his towel. Dripping water, however, and running were not exactly a smart match, and Eren soon became very aware of his mistake. Skidding and slipping on the water dripping off his skin, Eren rushed into the kitchen where he proceeded to fall right on his ass the second his feet had hit the linoleum. Thankfully it wasn’t a hard hit, just enough to smart for a bit as he got back on his feet. Levi would have been laughing had he not been so distraught over Sage pushing his face right into the center of his birthday cake, or Holly throwing off all the ornaments hanging on the tree.

Gathering up the cats and putting them in the back room until the party was over, Eren made sure he gave each of them a scolding. They’d enjoy themselves in the decorated cat tower without causing mayhem. Eren had to admit it though, it had been pretty cute seeing Levi take up a role as cat mom, standing in the center of the room, red in the face, hands on his hips, rolled up sleeves, and a dish towel on his shoulder. Levi had obviously been exasperated, but Eren pulled him close to let him calm down. The doorbell rang unexpectedly, so Eren carefully darted back to the bedroom to get dressed before returning to see familiar faces sitting on the sofa.

Levi’s sister, Isabel, a petite redhead with vivid emerald eyes sat next to their brother Farlan, a grey eyed, ashen haired man who made Levi want to pull his own hair out. Being the older out of the three, Levi was stuck with his younger siblings always nagging him about something, which Eren always found hilarious. They’d been an odd bunch to get used to, but now they were family and he loved them as Levi did. They’d smiled politely and greeted him kindly, but Eren had to go answer the door for the last remaining guests. The moment the door opened he was met with turbulent flint eyes staring back at him. Without missing a beat, he wrapped his arms around his sister and pulled her close.

“Hey, Mika!” Eren teased as he squeezed her tighter.

Mikasa flipped back her raven hair and scoffed “Hey, Eren, can you let me breathe?!”

“Let her go, Eren,” Carla snickered “or else she might take back your present.” Releasing his sister, Eren stepped back and noticed the boots she was wearing put her at his height. It seemed strange. Almost like they were kids again. With the festivities, his mother being there, and his sister, it really did feel like the old days, only now they were far improved on. Levi and his family joined them and together they were able to sit down and enjoy Christmas. They all sat in the living room, nibbling on snacks, drinking their drinks, and opening up various presents. Mikasa had of course gotten him the new stethoscope he’d been after, his mother had bought him more supplies for the lab, and Isabel and Farlan had even gotten him a few things for the office. Levi, however, had gotten him something far more expensive and much more important.

Pulling off the wrapping paper, Eren opened a box within a box only to be left staring at the small, black velvet box in his hands. Popping open the top, Eren stared down at the thin golden band inside the box. His chest constricted and all eyes were suddenly on them.

Getting off the arm of the sofa, Levi knelt in front of him and grinned broadly “So, I know you were eyeballing that watch the other day, but thankfully it’s in that box right next to you. I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now, I guess. Hell ,we’ve lived together since last year, I love you more than life itself, and if I can put up with all your shit this long, then what’s the rest of my life? Eren Jaeger, will you marry me?”

Finally finding his voice as he wiped the tears from his cheek he nodded “Yeah, I will, but you know that you’re a sonovabitch, right?”

“Yes, but why _this_ time?” Levi chuckled as he took the box from Eren’s grasp to remove the ring and slide it onto his finger.

“Because you stole my idea!” Eren huffed before kissing him. “Open the blue one to your right.” Obeying, Levi lifted a small box in blue foil wrapping paper. He struggled for a moment before finally getting it open, but once he did, he couldn’t stop laughing. Of course, Eren knew the laughter was to hide the tears already forming in his eyes.

Removing a black tungsten and titanium ring, Levi stared up at Eren “You sneaky bastard. You talked to Isabel, didn’t you?”

Chiming in, the redhead cackled “I only helped consult!! I remembered what you said once about liking the combination, because gold clashes with your complexion.”

“Thank you, Is,” Levi sighed before looking back to Eren “and thank you. It’s perfect, but don’t _I_ get a proposal?”

“No,” Eren scoffed “because you stole my thunder. Anyhow, I love you, and I do want to spend the rest of our lives together. You, me, the cats, maybe more in a few years. Who knows?”

Levi rolled his eyes “For now, the cats are enough. Anyway, let’s not steal the show any longer. Everyone else has presents to unwrap!” Eren nodded, and the two continued to unwrap their presents with everyone. At the end of the night, they got several congratulations, a couple of bottles of wine, Eren got his watch, Levi got a new cologne he’d been after, some new silk ties, and a new tea set. While they loved having everyone over, what they loved the most was when they left. After two years, they were engaged, living together, and raising two knuckleheaded felines. Life was bliss.

Neglecting the dishes, the platters of treats on the counter, and the wrapping paper in the living room, the two walked hand-in-hand off to the bedroom. Stopping just through the hall, Levi tugged on Eren’s arm and pointed up. Above them hung one tiny sprig of mistletoe. He didn’t know when Levi could have put it there, or how he got it there. Only thing was certain, he didn’t need a plant to tell him when to kiss Levi. As far as he was concerned, he’d be doing it at least twice a day, everyday, for the rest of their lives.

“I love you, Levi, happy birthday and merry Christmas,” Eren hummed as he held Levi flush to his body. Holding his smoldering gaze, Eren removed a ribbon from his pocket before tying it around his own neck “Looks like you’ve got one more present to unwrap.”

“Best one yet, too,” Levi hummed excitedly before stealing another kiss. “Mmm, I love you, too, Eren. Merry Christmas, and, _damn_ , if it definitely isn’t a happy birthday to me.”


End file.
